Hill-Lewis and Dyonase face off as DA congress decides future leadership

As the Democratic Alliance (DA) Federal Congress convenes on Sunday morning, the two contenders for the party’s top position have laid out their final visions for the future.

While Geordin Hill-Lewis and Sibusiso Dyonase are competing for the federal leadership, both candidates have centred their campaigns on the need to bridge the gap between the party and the average South African.

Geordin Hill-Lewis, the current Cape Town Mayor and federal leader hopeful, argued that competent governance is no longer a sufficient selling point on its own. He believes the party must evolve to demonstrate a deeper empathy for those struggling under the country's economic climate.

While Hill-Lewis maintains that the DA’s track record of governance is superior to its rivals, he cautioned delegates that this should not be the limit of the party's aspirations.

"Our task now is to become a political home for the millions of South Africans who, like us, and feel warm towards us, but don’t quite yet feel they can lend us their vote. We will not do that by simply repeating we are better than the rest," Hill-Lewis stated.

READ: DA Federal Congress: Delegates gear up to elect new leadership

His rival, Sibusiso Dyonase, framed the congress as a vital opportunity for the party to look inward and re-examine its core values and principles.

In his final stump speech to delegates on Saturday, Dyonase echoed the sentiment that the party’s successes in the Cape Town metro and Midvaal municipality are blueprints for success, but insisted that everyone must feel these standards of service.

"Clearly this shows that we are architects for clean governance; we don’t just promise a better life. We build it," Dyonase said. He further urged delegates to remain focused on the party's internal mission rather than being distracted by "negative external perceptions."

Delegates will cast their ballots this morning to decide who will lead the organisation for the next three years. Despite their rivalry, both candidates agree on a central pillar: the DA must extend its appeal and services to a broader, more diverse spectrum of the South African electorate to remain a viable national alternative.